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Insights Centre
Sectors · Manufacturing across SADC

Manufacturing in Zimbabwe

Where factories cluster, which zones are filling up, what each country makes and where value addition is missing.

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Value added by manufacturing, 2024US$7.1bn16.5% of the economy · 3rd largest of 16 in SADC
Real growth-2.8%a year over the last five years, at constant prices
Exports of the pillar's goods, 2024US$1.6bn+154% on five years earlier · 7th in SADC
Deals in the last 12 months23 tracked in Zimbabwe in all

Manufacturing added US$7.1bn to Zimbabwe's economy in 2024

Value added by manufacturing, the industries in the national accounts closest to manufacturing, US$, at the prices of each year and at constant 2020 prices (which show real growth)

0$2bn$4bn$6bn$8bn199019921994199619982000200220042006200820102012201420162018202020222024Prices of each yearUS$7.1bnConstant 2020 pricesUS$5.0bn
Source: UN Statistics Division·dotzedw Insights Centre

Zimbabwe has SADC's 3rd largest manufacturing sector

Value added by manufacturing, US$, latest year, with its share of each economy

South AfricaUS$51.3bn14.2% of the economy
AngolaUS$8.9bn7.8% of the economy
ZimbabweUS$7.1bn16.5% of the economy
DRCUS$6.2bn8.8% of the economy
TanzaniaUS$5.9bn7.8% of the economy
ZambiaUS$2.3bn9.5% of the economy
MadagascarUS$2.1bn13.3% of the economy
MauritiusUS$1.7bn12.9% of the economy
MozambiqueUS$1.5bn7.3% of the economy
EswatiniUS$1.4bn31.2% of the economy
NamibiaUS$1.4bn11.7% of the economy
MalawiUS$1.4bn12.3% of the economy
BotswanaUS$1.1bn5.9% of the economy
LesothoUS$289m14.0% of the economy
ComorosUS$137m9.1% of the economy
SeychellesUS$90m4.9% of the economy
Source: UN Statistics Division·dotzedw Insights Centre

Manufacturing, value added (US$): Zimbabwe against SADC

Manufacturing, value added (US$), US$, latest year for each country. Click a bar for that country's manufacturing page.

$0$2bn$4bn$6bn$8bn$10bnSouth Africa$52.3bnAngola$8.3bnZimbabwe$7.6bnDRC$7.2bnTanzania$6.6bn (2023)Zambia$2.5bnMadagascar$2.3bn (2024)Mauritius$1.8bnNamibia$1.5bnEswatini$1.4bnMozambique$1.4bnMalawi$1.2bn (2024)Botswana$1.1bnLesotho$288.6m (2024)Comoros$130.1mSeychelles$129.1mAxis cut: longest bar not to scalemedian $1.7bn

Source: World Bank·dotzedw Insights Centre

Zimbabwe's trade in manufacturing goods since 2012

Exports and imports of the products in this pillar's subsectors, each product counted once, US$

0$1bn$2bn$3bn2012201420162018202020222024ExportsUS$1.6bnImportsUS$2.7bn
Source: CEPII BACI·dotzedw Insights Centre

Subsectors

10 in this pillar

Food and beverages in Zimbabwe

Tracks
Mills, breweries, bottlers, sugar mills, dairies and meat plants; plant openings; processed against raw food exports.
Signals ahead
Harvest size, plant expansions, import duties.

Select a figure for its trend. Source: CEPII BACI, dotzedw deals tracker.

Trade in detail

Zimbabwe exported US$100m and imported US$238m of food and beverages in 2024; exports down 15% on five years earlier, 1.4% of what SADC sells abroad.

Zimbabwe's main exports in this subsector, 2024

Sugar (170113)US$39m
Sugar (170114)US$19m
Prepared foods obtained by the swelling or roasting of… (190420)US$8.0m
Fruit juices (200919)US$5.3m
Food preparations (210690)US$5.1m

Zimbabwe's trade in food and beverages every year since 2012, by partner is part of the Individual plan

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Open these deals in the deals tracker

What Zimbabwe sells abroad across manufacturing

Zimbabwe's exports by subsector, 2024, US$, with its share of SADC's exports. A product can count in two subsectors.

Metals, smelting and refiningUS$1.4bn2.8% of SADC · +254% on five years earlier
Food and beveragesUS$100m1.4% of SADC · -15% on five years earlier
Textiles, clothing and footwearUS$56m1.3% of SADC · -35% on five years earlier
Packaging, plastics and paperUS$26m1% of SADC · +19% on five years earlier
Electrical goods, batteries and solarUS$13m1.4% of SADC · +49% on five years earlier
Cement and building materialsUS$8.7m1.7% of SADC · +311% on five years earlier
PharmaceuticalsUS$5.6m0.9% of SADC · +77% on five years earlier
Automotive and componentsUS$1.7m0% of SADC · -38% on five years earlier
Chemicals and fertiliserUS$1.7m0% of SADC · -47% on five years earlier
Source: CEPII BACI·dotzedw Insights Centre

Who is moving

Open in the deals tracker

2 deals in the last 12 months involving Zimbabwe, placed in subsectors by what they say.

Sources and method